


Day 8: Tinsel

by Sang_argente



Series: 25 Days of Fic 2.0 [8]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-05-05 19:03:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5386925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sang_argente/pseuds/Sang_argente
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’m actually here to ask for help.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Stiles said slowly, obviously, as if that was all Derek ever wanted when he spoke to Stiles. </p>
<p>It was kind of offensive, to be honest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Day 8: Tinsel

The house stood out from all its neighbors, dark and plain where the rest were shining brightly with eccentric decorations. The only light was coming from one of the downstairs windows. It was the living room window, if Derek wasn’t mistaken.

As he walked up the driveway, he could hear quiet explosions coming from the television inside, letting him know that someone was home. Frowning, he knocked on the door and stood waiting.

“Yeah, give me a minute!” Stiles called, voice barely muffled thanks to Derek’s sensitive hearing. There was a smooth sliding noise and the clinking of a chain before the door was abruptly pulled open. Stiles stood there, smiling dropping as he realized exactly who was standing on his porch. “Can I help you?”

Derek shifted in discomfort and tried to remember that Stiles had been nothing but reluctantly helpful, unlike some people he could name. It was a little difficult when he could hear Stiles’s heart racing and smell the anxiety that was starting to permeate his scent.

“Yeah, uh,” Derek said quietly, leaning away in an attempt to calm Stiles. “Can I come in?”

Stiles let out a slow, measured breath and slumped against the door as he stepped back. “Sure thing.”

“Thanks.”

Making a vague motion towards the nearly empty coat rack, Stiles waited for Derek to strip out of his jacket and then lead him to the living room. It was obvious that Stiles had been spending most of Christmas break on the couch, but he felt no shame as he watched Derek take in his carefully constructed blanket nest with easily accessible snacks. It was only when Derek’s eyebrows rose at the mess of tissues on the table that Stiles flinched.

“I’m a sensitive film watcher, dude,” he muttered as he looked up at Derek and shrugged. “But that’s not why you’re here.”

“No, not really,” Derek agreed, trying to ignore the sharp scent of sadness that was soaked into Stiles’s little nest. “I’m actually here to ask for help.”

“Yeah,” Stiles said slowly, obviously, as if that was all Derek ever wanted when he spoke to Stiles. 

It was kind of offensive, to be honest.

But Stiles had always helped Derek and had never done or said anything to make him think that he regretted doing so. With that in mind, Derek internally shrugged and pushed forward.

“I’ve been doing some Christmas shopping for the pack,” Derek admitted, not eager to reveal his softer side but knowing that Stiles wouldn’t mention it. “The thing is...I’m not really sure what would be appropriate for me to get Erica.”

He wasn’t sure how to make it any clearer but thankfully Stiles was already nodding in understanding.

“Right, yeah, I can see that,” Stiles said, pulling his phone out and bringing up some links that he’d had saved for a while. “The whole older man in a position of authority thing. Tricky.”

“Right,” Derek agreed, his shoulders slumping in relief. He knew Stiles would understand. He always did.

“Here.”

Derek took the phone and stared down at the page Stiles had opened. A picture of a pair of heels, black suede with tiny gold Batman symbols bedazzled on them, took up most of the page. They were ridiculously tall and exactly something Erica would wear.

“Thank you,” Derek said sincerely.

“No problem,” Stiles replied as he sat on the couch, wiggling himself back into his nest. “If there wasn’t anything else...”

Derek handed Stiles his phone after sending the link to himself. “I should go.”

“Or,” Stiles spoke up, uncharacteristically nervous. “You could stay?”

“I don’t want to crash your plans or anything.”

“Man, come on, does it look like I have plans? We don’t celebrate Christmas,” Stiles pointed out.

“I did notice that there weren’t any lights outside,” Derek admitted as he sat on the couch next to Stiles.

“Yeah, we definitely don’t decorate. God, we haven’t done that since I was a kid,” Stiles said, his voice quiet and wistful. “I’m pretty sure we quit decorating long before we quit celebrating.”

Derek turned to look at Stiles, taking in the slight downturn of his mouth and the way his fingers were wrapped so tight around his phone his knuckles were turning white. “Do you miss it?”

“What?”

“Do you miss it?” Derek repeated. “Decorating?”

“Sometimes, but not really,” Stiles said as he shook his head. “My mom was always the big holiday person and I think if I tried to do it on my own it just wouldn’t feel right, you know?”

Derek nodded, but stayed quiet, knowing Stiles was about to say something else. He was right.

“There is one thing I miss, though,” Stiles admitted, a boyish grin stretching his lips.

“What’s that?”

“Tinsel.”

“Tinsel?”

Stiles nodded eagerly, a mischievous sparkle in his amber eyes. “Yeah, tinsel. You know? It’s silvery strands of plastic-”

“Oh, I know what tinsel is,” Derek interrupted, his own grin creeping out. “I think Laura tried to bury me in the stuff every year. That’s what you miss?”

“Hell yeah!” Stiles cried. “Man, I use to make such a mess with that shit. I’d string it all over the house and call it decorating. My dad would complain about it until my mom would remind him that they were trying to encourage my creativity. Then he would just complain about it when she was out of the room. She’d always come back and glare at him, like she just knew he hadn’t stopped.”

A soft laugh left Derek suddenly, leaving him and Stiles blinking in surprise for a long moment. Stiles finally recovered, his smile brightening as he laughed as well.

The smell of Stiles’s happiness, Derek concluded, was much more pleasant than the anxiety and sadness of earlier.

With that in mind, he leaned forward eagerly and smiled. “Any other great stories of young Stiles and the holidays?”

“Are you sure?” Stiles asked, biting his lip. 

“Sure, I’m sure.”

“Alright,” Stiles said as he leaned forward as well, bringing them far into each other’s personal space. “There was this one time...”

**Author's Note:**

> any pairing any fandom winter/christmas prompts are open on my [tumblr.](http://stilesthesasswolf.tumblr.com)


End file.
